SI Numbers and Sig Fig's

[Jack Van Ryan 1A]

Do we count SI numbers as significant figures when doing dimensional analysis? For example, should I take the number of significant figures of 273.15 degrees Kelvin into consideration when performing dimensional analysis?

Thank you!

[Reza Hemmati 3L]

Hi!

You do count them, but they usually have more sig figs than the measurements you have/numbers given in the problem, so either way the sig figs that end up mattering are the ones given in the problem. (this is because, when you multiply, the product will be rounded so that it matches the number with the least sig figs that was multiplied)

Hope this helps! ^^

[Aaron Martinez]

You would take into consideration the sig figs of a number you are using for dimensional analysis. These aren't the only numbers you would have to take into consideration for sig fig rounding, however. A lot of times, the problem will you give you additional numbers in the setup, so you have to take those into consideration as well and make sure your resulting product matches the same number of sig figs as the smallest sig fig number.

[Ellie Fox 2K]

The important values to pay attention to for sig figs are only the ones given in the problem. Any other values you use for dimensional analysis don't factor in, you just want to make sure that the numbers you use give you a result that you can manipulate to equal the correct number of sig figs. Hope that makes sense.

[Maia Holmes Kueny 1C]

Always count them.